A burly man with a giant bushy beard interrupted their conversation, "Only a true fan would know the secret to his strength!"

"Hmph!" The first man snorted after getting insulted.

"Oh? Could you enlighten me?" Gerald turned to the burly man with a smile.

"Of course, little brother! Actually, there is a rumor about the Northendark family going around. I have heard people say that their ancestors stumbled upon an ancient ruin and found some valuable treasures inside! Among them was a golden tablet with ancient runes inscribed on it!" The man spoke in a hushed voice as if afraid the secret would lose its value if too many people heard it.

"Apparently the latter generations managed to decipher the words on the golden page and they developed a way for people to use magic to strengthen their bodies with it! Can you imagine that? Using magic just as the beasts and monsters do, to enhance their own physical abilities!" His words carried a sense of longing and even a hint of jealousy.

"That is one of the reasons the Northendark family managed to develop so quickly in the past few centuries, going from an unknown nobody to having to answer to nobody but the king! Even the armor he is wearing came from that ancient treasure! It's the immensely expensive, genuine, Mithril armor!"

"To think there is such a thing that exists in this world!" The first man gasped with eyes wide open. Never in his life could he imagine that such a thing has happened.

Gerald didn't even have time to think about what he just heard when another commotion started.

"Look! What is that thing?!"

"Is that- It's an Orc! The Phoenix Knights managed to capture an Orc!"

On an iron wagon, pulled by two strong warhorses, a proper, live Orc, was chained up and gagged. His entire body was covered in dark fur that made his already massive body look even more imposing.

It had a short but wide nose, a big mouth from which two tusks pointed outward, and eyes that would instill fear in a person with just a single look.

He was shaking and thrashing around furiously but to no avail. The iron chains that held him in place didn't budge even one bit.

"Waaah! Momy, I'm scared!" a kid suddenly cried. Just the look of the ugly monster was too much for him.

"Sssh, It's okay! Look, the bad monster is chained, he can't hurt you. Those brave warriors are going to keep us safe," his mother comforted him.

"Oh, it's actually an Orc Shaman!"

"Orc Shaman? Why did they capture it alive? Are they going to sell it to the Magic Academy for study?"

"What do you know! Magic Academy is always looking to expand their knowledge, getting their hands on such a good specimen is a rare opportunity!"

While people were discussing the fate of the prisoner they didn't notice the growing rage and frustration in the eyes of the Orc. In the eyes of common folk, he was just like an animal, a beast that didn't possess any intelligence.

But Gerald paid special attention to the monster. It was an opportunity for him to learn more about this world. But when he observed the Orc with his Magic Eyes he frowned.

The Shaman's Mana inside his body was chaotic and swirling around. From the color, Gerald could discern the Element of Fire and Earth, but the Fire one reigned supreme. The amount of Mana inside his body was also breathtaking.

'It's even more than I have!'

The swirling Mana was flowing in a pattern as if the Orc was trying to cast a spell. However, every time it reached the surface of his skin it violently bounced back, as if it didn't have any outlet to rush out.

The Orc Shaman was getting more agitated by the second. His face muscles twitched and his fur stood up.

Trashing his head around, the wooden piece it had in its mouth was suddenly crushed and the chain holding it in place fell down.

The orc roared in delight.

"Filthy humans! All of you will burn! Ignis Pluviam!"

As the Orc roared small flames started forming around him. Each second, half-a-dozen fist-sized balls of fire were called into existence. They started swirling around the caster, rising into the sky.

Soon panic ensued.

"Aaah!"

"Run, it's escaping!"

"The orc is free! Help!"

As soon as people noticed the flames around the Orc Shaman, they scattered amid panic and screams. An Orc Shaman could singlehandedly wipe out a small town, and as such, they were justifiably feared.

Displaying his magic power in a city and on such a crowded road, the casualties were sure to be immense!

Gerald was already prepared to form a wind barrier and a stone wall to protect himself and his friends if the situation called for it. As for others… Good luck!

But then, just as the situation was about to go out of control…

"Shield of Flowing Water!"

Ka-cha!

A barrel on the metal wagon suddenly broke apart and the water inside it surged forth, forming a spherical barrier that encased the Orc Shaman and his flames.

Coming into contact with the water, the scorching fireballs sizzled while producing steam for a second or two before they extinguished into nothing.

The Shaman roared again, but this time he was unable to speak as the ball of water shrunk around him, completely submerging him within.

No matter how he thrashed around, the water would stick to his face and body like glue. Slowly the air bubbles coming from its mouth stopped and the Orc fainted.

A man dressed in thick, dark blue robes rode closer on the horseback. He was holding a short silver staff in his hand, with small blue gems on the handle and a big one at the end.

After he confirmed the Orc was not a threat anymore, he released his magic and stored the staff on his belt.

The water around the Orc Shaman immediately fell to the ground, giving him the chance to breathe once more.

However, before the Orc even had the chance to wake up completely, the servants came running and they piled on him, beating him up and gagging him once more.

The young man on the horse frowned and shouted at the servants, "What are you fools doing?! Your negligence almost led to a disaster! If this happens again you can forget about living any longer!"

The servants trembled and kneeled on the ground, "We are sorry, young master, it won't happen again! Please have mercy!"

"Hmph! Useless!" The young man snorted and turned his horse around. He couldn't be bothered with wasting his breath on mere servants.

He turned to look at Gerald for a second before continuing on his way. Seeing a young man not running away piqued his interest. However, after seeing his attire, it was possible the latter didn't even realize the danger he was in and that's why he didn't retreat.

'There are always some people, ignorant of the world around them,' the man thought before throwing the thought to the back of his mind.

"Who was that sour-face?"

"Little brother, you should watch what you say, young mage Riordian Northendark is known for his short temper…"

Not expecting that someone would answer him, Gerald turned around only to see the burly man walking out of his hiding spot behind a food stall.

"Oh, big guy, you are still here? Do you know that mage dude?" he questioned.

The burly man nodded proudly, "Of course, I know him, who doesn't? He's just twenty-five this year and he already achieved the rank of a Wizard. He is one of the rare geniuses that can cast high-rank spells!"

"Damn, really? You sure know a lot about these guys…" Gerald voiced his thoughts.

"Actually I have never seen him before, I only heard of his accomplishments," the burly man spoke in embarrassment.

"Then, how did you know it was him?"

"Simple," the man said, "I noticed the emblem of a Wizard on his robe. Based on his age, there was only one person among Phoenix Knights that matched his rank."

"Emblem? Are you referring to the silver badge on his chest? That thing represents his rank?" Gerald questioned the big guy.

"Of course," the latter nodded, "Both warriors and mages can get an emblem for their rank if they apply for it."

Gerald frowned, "Why would anyone wanna give away the rank of their strength? Isn't it a disadvantage if the enemy knows how strong or capable you are?"

In his mind, keeping your capabilities hidden was a much better strategy than announcing to the whole world how capable you are.

"Well, of course, that's true, but… Those that are of higher rank are respected and they get special privileges in certain places. Also, if the enemy can see your rank they might reconsider fighting if they are weaker than you. It's all about the pros and cons, and those that dare display their rank are usually strong, and with a powerful background…" The burly man continued to speak unceasingly.

Gerald unknowingly stumbled upon a topic that the other party was extremely passionate about. But that was okay, at least he got a better understanding of the power structure of this world.

It appeared that personal strength was on top of the pyramid, the second was background and connections, and only after that was knowledge and wisdom.

After the man stopped talking, Gerald thanked him for the insights and led the girls to their new home.