Alex hadn't expected a no for an answer.

"Then why did you ask about my coat?" he asked.

"To gauge your strength," the man said. "So, did you take out the Pest Cat yourself?"

Alex nodded. "I took out several. They are not my opponent."

This took the man by surprise.

He knew that Alex was strong since he was able to wield such a heavy sword in one hand, but he hadn't known how strong Alex was.

"They are not your opponents?" he asked. "What Stage are you?"

"Stage?" Alex asked, but then he remembered the Duke's words. "I should be in the Late First Realm."

"Late Soldier Stage?!" the man asked in shock. "And you're 15?!"

"Soldier Stage?" Alex asked in confusion. "I thought the First Realm was called Apprentice."

"That's for Mages only," the man said. "The First Realm for warriors is the Soldier Stage. That's because nearly all soldiers are in that Stage."

"Oh, okay," Alex said. "And yes, I'm at the Late Soldier Stage then."

The man looked far more surprised than Alex had assumed.

"Is that high?" he asked.

"Are you from a noble household?" the man asked in shock.

Alex snorted. "Do I look like I'm from a noble household?" he asked.

The man looked at Alex.

"So, is it strong?" Alex asked.

"Warriors in the Late Soldier Stage are generally considered elite warriors," the man answered. "They worked for years for their power."

"Elite soldiers?" Alex asked in surprise, "but the guards I met at that mountain were all more powerful than me."

"You can't compare normal soldiers to the soldiers working directly under the Duke," the man said. "The men under the Duke are all in the General Stage. That's the equivalent to the Adept Realm for Mages."

"Oh," Alex commented. "By the way, how do you know all these things?"

"When I was young, I worked as a smith in Warrior's Paradise," the man said.

'Knew it!' Alex thought. The guy just looked far too much like a smith.

"Back to the topic," the man said. "You said that Pest Cats are not your opponents, right?"

Alex nodded.

"Could you elaborate on your power? How would the fight go down?"

strike, one kill," Alex said. "As long as they don't jump me from several

had truly transformed in the last six

arrived, one Pest Cat had already nearly spelled his doom. If he hadn't been lucky, the Pest Cat would

been able to

found it easy

Bear and the subsequent strengthening with the

Pest Cat's

body was far stronger than

power, he was taken

quickly fell into

powerful, we might have a lucrative job for you," the man

Alex heard that,

What job?"

and gestured towards the

speak with the Elder," he

a smile as he followed behind the

he could see curious eyes glancing at him through the windows

villagers were still

bad experiences with

everyone was as courageous as the old

them arrived in front of a

look any different from any other

it was made out of

times on the door. "Elder, I think we have someone that can take on the

Alex

opened, and an old man looked at

was probably in his fifties or sixties, but he looked like he

and he seemed to not have much strength in his body anymore. The

Alex saw the old

of Mana was swirling around the

Was he a Mage?

Duke Whirlwind. When put into comparison, the old man felt like an old

amount of Mana like a whirlpool, while this old man only pulled in a bit of Mana, one

gap was just

Mage?"

surprised by Alex's words, but the eyes of the

was like he had expected

old man looked at Alex, and he could see that Alex was pulling in quite a

confident?" the old man

"No," Alex answered.

was surprised by

only smiled a

he said. "Come

defeating an enemy I don't even know?'

old smith waited outside while Alex entered the

was very simple and quaint. It looked like a cozy

a chair, and

fire, and while the water was warming, the old man sat down in front

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