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

The intermediate swordsmanship class was a time to practice the Imperial swordsmanship techniques from the basics, along with the children.

After being subjected to Ray Gibson’s shouting for two hours on Tuesday afternoon, my ears were still ringing.

Fortunately, Bill had already experienced the taste of power, and while he would shove people around with his broad shoulders, it was lucky that Luver rarely did such things.

I naturally stood next to Luver and focused on learning the sword techniques.

It wasn’t that I particularly disliked Bill. It was just that I didn’t get along well with loud people.

This was probably due to my habit of listening intently to small sounds, a result of the survival instincts I developed in my past life. The habit of straining my ears every night still caused me discomfort.

Bill, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that I was avoiding him. Even though we kept our distance, being family still made me feel some attachment, and I found it somewhat reassuring.

Sheiden, sensing that I was not compatible with someone like Bill, kindly took over the task of talking to him. I was truly grateful for such a dear friend.

We practiced the basic techniques of the Imperial swordsmanship, including the “Three Sword Style” and stances for using a shield.

I received a practice shield that weighed exactly half the standard weight of an Imperial knight’s shield. When I asked why, I was told it was to avoid hindering the growth of my muscles, which made sense, and I nodded in agreement.

After lunch, I went for a walk, seeking some quiet time alone.

To avoid the noise, I took a detour behind the building. From nearby, I heard the sound of angry horses.

Thinking there must be a group of children nearby, I hurried my pace. The voice I heard sounded familiar.

“When are you going to stop pretending not to see me?”

“Why? Did I beg you to stay here?”

“I told you it wasn’t because of my brother.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

It was Calypse Agrigent, and Walter Organ. I froze in surprise and instinctively hid my presence. It felt like I shouldn’t be seen there.

Were they brothers? Their family names were different. For Calypse to tell Walter not to call him “brother,” I felt embarrassed to unintentionally be eavesdropping on some family secret.

Not knowing when it would be safe to leave, I cautiously peeked around the corner. At that moment, Walter grabbed Calypse by the collar and kissed him.

…He kissed him. I unconsciously pressed my hand to my mouth, shocked.

Their tongues intertwined in a way that was raw and explicit.

It was nothing like what I had seen in plays or even the way Danbi kissed her girlfriend.

Calypse pushed against Walter’s chest, trying to break free. But it was futile. Walter’s much larger frame gave him the upper hand, and it seemed like a struggle between a warrior and a scholar.

Should I help? But who would I help? How?

I stood frozen, paralyzed by confusion.

At that moment, just as Walter was trying to pull Calypse closer, a loud sound rang out. Calypse had slapped Walter across the face, creating some space between them.

It was only natural. Which teacher or professor would tolerate such behavior from a student?

Calypse grit his teeth and spat, saying, “Every time you ask, I give in. It’s laughable.”

Walter’s curse, muttered between clenched teeth, sounded like thunder.

Walter Organ was always the one who smiled gently, kind and sweet-tempered.

I couldn’t believe that it was him cursing like that. Just then, Walter turned and our eyes met.

He sighed deeply, as if frustrated, and I saw him wave his hand lightly in my direction.

It was a signal to get out of there immediately.

If I had the eyesight of a top-tier warrior, I would have recognized that signal immediately. I quickly turned and walked away.

I was flustered. Bewildered.

I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed.

I knew that romantic relationships between men existed, but I never expected to see something like that. When I had once mentioned not planning to take a lover, Luver had asked me if I was perhaps a homosexual.

Maybe in Shiren, such things weren’t all that rare.

Walter had definitely noticed me, but Calypse, who wasn’t a warrior, probably hadn’t realized I was there.

But if the two of them reconciled, perhaps Walter would give me a heads-up. How would I deal with that?

Suddenly, Sheiden’s words came to mind.

He had told me not to get involved in Calypse Agrigent’s love affairs.

Indeed. This was something I couldn’t help with.

Unlike Marianne’s love, which was soft, pure, and gentle, witnessing the harsh, almost biting intensity with which they hurled insults at each other made it hard to believe that this too could be considered love.

Coincidentally, the very next class was Calypse’s.

Calypse Agrigent came into class with a hoarse voice. I couldn’t help but notice the persistent violet bruise on his neck. It was a clear mark of someone who had been bitten.

But, could it really be Walter Organ, the one who had done that?

I couldn’t understand what was going on. Part of me didn’t want to know, but at the same time, I was very curious.

The sound of Walter’s curses still rang in my ears.

I must have been so distracted during the class that, when it ended, Sheiden grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

At that moment, I recalled the scene when Lucilla had teased Walter. I almost wondered if I was the only one who didn’t know the nature of their relationship.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Mika, let’s go,” Sheiden said.

“Sheiden.”

I desperately grabbed Sheiden’s wrist. He looked down at me, surprised. Unable to hold back, I asked the question.

“Did you know?”

“Huh? About what?”

“…About the professor.”

“Mm? The professor?”

“His lover.”

Sheiden gave a soft “ah” and then turned his gaze away. It was clear from his reaction that he had already known the answer.

As before, Sheiden led me to his room to explain. On our way, we passed by Luver, but with my mind in turmoil, I didn’t stop to greet him.

* * *

I sat on the sofa in Sheiden’s dormitory reception room, feeling like a child being reprimanded. I placed my hands on my lap and sat quietly.

Sheiden gave me a warm cup of tea. It was the same yellow-colored tea often served in Professor Douglas Mustang’s office, used to calm and relax.

Ah. I found myself covering my face with both hands.

After a long silence, Sheiden finally spoke.

“Uh, how did you find out?”

I didn’t answer.

“…Can I ask when you were surprised? I need some time to prepare myself too.”

I still didn’t respond.

I was too confused to know what to say about what I had just witnessed.

I was ashamed, thinking I should be beyond such things at my age, but it was hard to calm my racing heart. I knew that when men and women engage in intimacy, they meet at the threshold. But seeing them behave so beast-like with their tongues…

It had become far too clear, and that was the real problem.

I tried to push the thoughts down, refusing to think about it. My temples throbbed with the effort. After a while, I came to realize that I wasn’t trying to ask Sheiden a question, but rather, I had come to him because I didn’t know how to calm this chaotic feeling inside me.

As I remained silent, Sheiden gently urged me to drink more tea. After some time, I felt his hand softly stroking my shoulders and back, soothing me.

In the end, he was one of those warriors who could easily surpass the distance between himself and the average warrior.

Finally, I let out a small sigh and spoke softly.

“I didn’t expect Professor Agrigent’s lover to be Senior Organ.”

“Ah… I was surprised too. I mean, they’re quite far apart in age.”

“How much of an age difference?”

“I think it’s eleven years… But it seems they started seeing each other after he became an adult. Before that, I heard the professor kept rejecting him.”

“…Who did he reject?”

“Senior Serbel…?”

Logan Serbel never gave me a hint about any of this and instead told Sheiden.

I felt a brief surge of frustration, but then quickly calmed myself, knowing that even if I had been told earlier, I probably wouldn’t have believed it. I was still so shocked that my heart was still pounding.

I usually tried to clearly distinguish between what I could and couldn’t interfere with. When playing the role of a hero, veering off course usually resulted in consequences that were worse than not helping at all.

This was definitely something I couldn’t help with, something I couldn’t involve myself in. Yet, I still wanted to hear more about it.

I had assumed that the world would be gentle and sweet to me, but each time I peeled back a layer, I found something surprising and frightening hidden beneath. I needed to prepare my heart.

I wanted to learn more about homosexuality, which I had once dismissed so easily, and understand why Walter, who seemed so friendly and kind, acted so beastly.

I was already worried about seeing Walter’s face tomorrow morning, and my face burned with embarrassment, only to cool down again. The mental strain made me dizzy.

They started seeing each other after Walter became an adult.

I mulled over Sheiden’s words. Certainly, when I looked at the scene without context, there was no indication that Calypse was forcing himself on Walter. In fact, it seemed like Walter was…

I shook my head, trying to push the scene out of my mind. My hair was disheveled as I did so.

Sheiden, sitting beside me, groaned and then brought a comb. I let out a half-laugh, but it quickly faded.

“Is it really that surprising that the professor and senior are together?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to describe what I had seen. The words wouldn’t come out. Without a hint of frustration, Sheiden started combing my hair. As I quietly allowed him to do so, my mind began to calm.

After a while, I urged Sheiden to speak properly, now that I had settled down. He hesitated for a moment, filled my tea cup, and then carefully began.

“I don’t really know either. It’s just a rumor that’s been going around. As you know, Senior Organ had a long delay in graduation… but I heard that when he was in his final year, he was one of the best in the swordsmanship club.”

The conversation went on for a while after that. I emptied my teacup three times, and Sheiden refilled it each time without showing any sign of impatience.