Sword God in a World of Magic

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?"

"As long as they don't jump me from several different angles, I can take out

in the last

Pest Cat had already nearly spelled his doom. If he hadn't

Alex had been able to fight one

easy

subsequent strengthening with the fruits, the Pest Cats were no longer a

Pest Cat's

was far stronger than a Pest

of Alex's power,

man quickly fell into

have a lucrative job

heard that, he immediately

job? What job?" he

around and gestured towards the middle of

You should speak with

with a smile as

through the village, he could see curious eyes glancing at him through the windows

were still

probably had bad experiences with

everyone was as courageous as the old

minute, the two of them arrived

different from

it

a couple of times on the door. "Elder, I

Wood Pest?' Alex repeated

the door opened, and an old

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

have much strength in his body anymore. The man also used a

the old man, he became a

of Mana was swirling around

Was he a Mage?

the old man felt like an old weed while Duke Whirlwind felt like a towering, ancient

Whirlwind had pulled in an incredible amount of Mana like a whirlpool, while this old man only pulled in

gap was

a Mage?"

Alex's words, but the eyes of the old man didn't

he had expected

Alex, and he could see that Alex was pulling in quite a bit of Mana, even more than the

the old man

"No," Alex answered.

old smith was

only

he said. "Come

confident in defeating an

while

quaint. It looked like a cozy house of a

man gestured to a chair,

from a bucket and warmed it over the fire, and while the water was warming, the old man