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

Both Luver and I had steady breathing.

It was the second half of the semester. I had learned that even when I desperately wanted to pour all my energy into a fight, it was important not to. With every strike I made, I felt a sense of exhilaration as everything around me seemed to fade away.

From the previous attack, I had backed away a distance of about ten paces in an instant. When my secret move failed, Luver became more cautious. His calm nature became more apparent, as he didn’t rush.

The sight of his black hair, untouched by sweat, shaking slightly above his thick eyebrows sent a shiver down my spine.

His walking steps resembled those of an infinite stride. Thinking about the large boy who had likely taken several steps following my earlier feints made me feel a sense of satisfaction.

However, it was a mistake.

Knowing how the infinite stride technique worked made it easier for me to deal with him than before. I pretended to retreat when he came closer, then jumped up and leapt over his head.

I slashed my sword across his empty back. As he turned, a fierce gust of wind followed. Just in time, I blocked his sword with a familiar sound ringing in my ears.

Unconsciously, I pressed his sword against mine to stop its movement. Even though I knew it was not ideal to use the heavy style he employed, I still used the *吸* (suction) technique to immobilize his sword.

Realizing his sword had stopped moving, the boy was momentarily flustered. I could see his black eyes trembling up close.

I suppressed a smile and pulled back. He followed. I knew my temperament, always eager to test the potential in talented individuals, was troublesome. I decided to stop my teasing.

I pulled him in and then pushed him away with force.

I was using my right hand for the sword. When I swung my sword, his hands, which were holding his weapon with both hands, were raised high. This created an opening in his stance. I aimed for that gap and reached out with my left hand.

My hand was imbued with *aura*. Though if it landed, I knew it would severely damage his insides, I didn’t care. He showed no sign of fear. His sword, rapidly regaining balance, came straight for my neck.

His warm and thick chest was pressed into my palm. The sharp tip of the sword grazed my neck.

And then, the world stopped. Maelo Sanson’s aura enveloped both the boy and me. The familiar sensation quelled the excitement rising from my head. My crown chakra felt warm. I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“Didn’t you take a breath during the fight? Well, I saw it. Both of you have improved a lot.”

I listened closely to Maelo’s voice. In this duel, I had lost. Had it been a real fight, I would have struck his insides while losing my own head in the process. While injuries could heal, losing my head was irreversible.

I was about to regret choosing body movements over swordplay, but Maelo, as if noticing my thoughts, praised that very choice.

“First, Michael. It was a good decision to abandon your obsession with swordsmanship and use your hands. Using your body to get in close because your arms are relatively short was also good. And in the end, using *aura* in your hand to finish it off was creative. But it was a bit rough. It’s better to hold back unless you’re in a very dangerous situation.”

The boy’s heart thudded loudly in his chest.

Both of us had left some strength in reserve, so our breathing remained steady.

Was he as happy as I was?

Suddenly, I felt a surge of desire. Rather than placing Luver on the throne, I wanted to keep him by my side and train him as a martial artist.

It seemed such a waste to appoint someone who loved to spar like this as an administrator.

Maelo Sanson continued.

“Luver also seemed to be in great form today. The way he shortened his sword grip, pulling you into his embrace, and then setting a trap with a pommel strike was especially good. If you had reacted just a little slower, the match could have been decided there.”

After sharing his observations, Maelo began pointing out the flaws.

“However, using the walking technique you learned from Michael was a mistake. If you had bent to the right on your third step, you could have taken advantage of an opening. You’ve become quite familiar with the basic footwork, so now you need to practice applying it with some variation.”

I looked up at Luver. He wore a calm expression, but I could clearly see his ears, neck, and the rapid beating of his heart, betraying how embarrassed he felt.

It was undoubtedly because of the infinite stride.

It was cute and amusing. There was no need for him to be embarrassed since he hadn’t received personal instruction from me.

Since anyone could spar in the training grounds, Luver had earned the right to practice the infinite stride himself.

Despite that, his bashful expression was endearing and fitting for a boy his age.

“Still, both your speed was impressive, whether holding the sword short or long. It clearly shows you’ve been working hard. Well done. That’s enough for today. As for the remaining time…”

With that, the energy that had bound us both disappeared. Finally, I removed my hand from his body and returned my sword to my waist. Luver extended his hand first, and I willingly shook it.

“Did you do alright?”

“Yes.”

He asked in his usual voice, softly and almost in a whisper.

After a brief pause to gauge his happiness, I warmly replied that it had been an enjoyable and good spar. His bright smile illuminated his face.

After the long and difficult sparring session, I felt good for the rest of the day.

In my World History class, I opened the notebook Luver had given me previously. The sections I needed to memorize were marked in blue, which helped me organize my thoughts.

Both magic and the notebook had been beneficial. Receiving so much from him, I suddenly felt a strong desire to offer him something in return, other than just putting him on the throne.

But I had no idea what he would appreciate.

It was true, after all, that Ruber had more than enough in his hands.

He was the son of the emperor of this vast empire, and not only had he mastered swordsmanship and techniques excellently, but he also had a master who was more skilled than himself.

As I looked down at the boy’s neat handwriting, deep in thought, someone suddenly shook my shoulder.

“Page 65.”

Professor Brianna Casablanca was looking at me. I hadn’t realized I was lost in thought instead of reading the assigned passage. I quickly opened the textbook and read the section.

“The Felix royal family has long favored religious policies as a means of governing the kingdom, which has led to the strong influence of the clergy. Among them, the central temple of Felix contains a sacred item that exists solely to deify the king. This item is said to distinguish between those of royal blood and those who are not. Its appearance and usage are not widely known, but…”

Once I finished reading a paragraph, the class resumed.

Sheyden, knowing well that I was not very fond of theoretical lessons, seemed unbothered by my distracted attitude. However, even after the imperial genealogy lesson that followed, my mind was still a little restless, lost in thought.

* * *

During the week’s hunting and camping session, we were instructed to make medicinal pills using various ingredients we had gathered previously.

Professor Cedric checked the medicinal boxes of each group and graded them.

He examined whether we had chosen the correct types of herbs, whether we had selected high-quality materials, and the state of their storage.

Professor Cedric took the time to explain why certain materials were good or bad and made sure every student could understand the condition of the herbs they had gathered.

When there were particularly bad materials, he would swap them out for ones in better condition.

He also asked the group leaders to present the circumstances surrounding how we obtained the herbs.

Thanks to this, everyone learned what might happen in areas of the greenhouse they hadn’t visited and how to resolve potential issues.

Once the theoretical portion ended, we pushed the desks together to set up a large work table.

Curious about why we were only using herbs that could be ingested, rather than for ointments or poultices, I raised my hand and asked. Professor Cedric, as usual, answered in a loud, cheerful voice.

“Well, we can’t create wounds here and apply them, can we? You can’t just know things in your head. You have to experience it—make it yourself, taste it, and see what effect it has. If an herb that should be bitter turns out sweet, what do you think Ernhardt will do?”

“…He would try to figure out what went wrong?”

“Exactly. But the process of making the medicine wasn’t wrong. So what now?”

“We check the ingredients.”

“If you didn’t know what the medicine tasted like, what could you do?”

Ah. I thought I understood without needing further explanation.

Professor Cedric nodded and smiled, then handed out leaflets listing the types of medicinal pills we could make from the materials we had collected.

“That’s why! Today, we’re going to make enough for everyone in the group to try a little. We’ll use up all the materials from the greenhouse. Now, let’s get started!”

This time, each group was given a small vial of powdered magic stone.

I watched as Marianne Phylodendor quickly inserted her mana into the powder. She looked determined not to repeat her previous mistake, which I found amusing, and I chuckled quietly.

My task was to peel the hard skin of a cactus fruit, the tough outer shell of a Marklir’s hand.

I took out the small knife I had used before and carefully shaved off the skin until the soft inner flesh was exposed. I placed it in the mortar.

Once Jenny measured the appropriate amount of magic stone powder, Ivan Holmos took over the task of grinding the mixture.

Meanwhile, Damien Christopher and Jenny recorded the changes in the mixture with notes and drawings.

For the medicine using Loogie flowers and Moras mint, I didn’t do much, just watched. I was worried that if I mishandled the delicate materials, it might go to waste.

The medicines we were making were for use in case of sudden injuries or illnesses outdoors, so the process was much simpler than when we had made the vitality elixir.

The others in the group, with skillful hands, shaped the mixtures into pill-sized portions.

We set aside enough for the others to try, then placed our group’s portion on three small plates, feeling both proud and amazed.

As I studied my internal energy, I felt my body becoming stronger.

I had practiced martial arts and breathing techniques from a young age, both in Zhongyuan and in Sieron. Because of this, I had never caught even a cold and had never needed any sort of elixir.

Therefore, herbs like these were both unfamiliar and fascinating to me.

I divided the pills into five equal parts and took a piece. Slowly, I placed it on my tongue, trying to remember the taste—bitter, sweet, and sour—as I carefully sucked on it and swallowed.

By the time the class ended, my mouth was still filled with the bitter taste from having sampled several different pills. One of my group members pointed out that my tongue had turned yellow.

However, it was essential learning, and I didn’t mind it at all.