Ralph and his friends. Ralph vs Michael. Michael asks Julius about an Old Wizard.

Michael was walking home. Passing through the forest, at the same fork in the road where he had once followed Cherry and Felix, he noticed someone standing there. As he got closer, he saw Ralph—the one who had always bullied him.

"Well, hello, Michael! I was starting to get tired of waiting!" Ralph said mockingly.

"Hello, Ralph. I don't have time for you," Michael replied calmly and tried to walk past him.

"I heard you got the 4th level of magical power today. Is that true?" Ralph asked with a smirk.

Michael stopped, surprised to hear this from Ralph, and thought, How? How does he know? Who told him?

"Yeah, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes," said that same Boy 2, stepping out from behind Ralph.

"Renald? Of course! He was there too today! So, he's the one who told him!" Michael thought, still slightly shocked.

"Are you not lying? I find it hard to believe that it's Michael," said another guy who stepped out from behind Ralph.

"Spinner is here too!? The whole trio of local bullies was waiting for me here!" Michael thought.

"Why would I lie?" Renald asked Spinner.

"Fair point," Spinner replied.

"So, it's true then," Ralph said with a smirk.

Michael calmed himself and decided to walk past the three of them with a neutral expression, but Ralph grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going, huh? We're not done talking yet!" Ralph said.

"What do you want, Ralph?" Michael asked, keeping his composure.

"I want you to fight me right here, right now!" Ralph said with a grin.

"I don't see the point in fighting someone with the 3rd level of magical power, especially someone who's already at the 9th rank while I'm only at the 1st. It's obvious that I'd lose to you right now," Michael said and tried to leave again, but Ralph stopped him once more.

"Then how about this? The fight will last for one minute, and if you land even a single hit on me, you win. Does that sound fair to you?" Ralph asked.

Michael stopped to think.

"You really want to fight me that badly?" Michael asked.

"You're absolutely right!" Ralph replied.

"Alright, I accept your challenge!" Michael said, turning to face Ralph.

After that, their duel began. In the end, Michael doesn't manage to land a single hit on Ralph, as Ralph strikes him so many times that Michael can't even stand up.

"Ugh! Is that all the 4th level of magical power can do? You're even weaker than the 1st level of magical power! You disappointed me!" Ralph said, dissatisfied.

"Hah! Weakling!" Spinner said with disdain, grinning.

"I'm weak?" Michael thought. "Damn it! Get up! Why won't you listen to me?"

"Let's go, Renald, Spinner!" Ralph said, and they left.

After they were gone, Michael eventually stood up and went home.

At home, his mind was occupied only with thoughts of how he had lost to Ralph in such humiliating conditions and the words that Spinner had said with contempt. But at one moment, he decided to stop dwelling on it and headed to Julius.

As he approached Julius, he once again saw him saying goodbye to a customer who had just bought some pastries.

"Have a great day, Julius!" the customer said, walking away happily.

"Haha! Always a pleasure!" Julius replied with a smile.

"Hello again, Mr. Julius!" Michael greeted him.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Michael! I didn't even notice you again, sorry!" Julius said. "Huh? You don't look too great, to be honest. Fought with Ralph again?"

"Yeah… Can I come inside?" Michael asked.

"Sure, have a seat at the table; we'll talk," Julius answered with a smile.

After going inside and sitting at the table, they began their conversation.

"So, what's your level of magical power?" Julius asked.

"Oh, I got the 4th level of magical power," Michael answered.

"The 4th—that's great! Very…" Julius suddenly paused as he processed what he had just heard "4th level of magical power!? What!?"

"Not surprised by your reaction," Michael said.

"Ahem! Okay, calm down, Julius!" Julius told himself. "Now I understand why everyone was looking at you like that. Did you really get that level?"

"Yes, I did," Michael confirmed.

"But there are only three levels of magical power… How did you get the fourth level of magical power?" Julius asked.

"I don't fully understand it myself, but the old man—I mean, the village elder—said that when he was young and traveling the world, he discovered that a fourth level of magical power exists," Michael explained.

"Aha! So the idea that there are only three levels is a lie, huh?" Julius muttered to himself.

"By the way, can I ask you something?" Michael asked.

"Sure, go ahead!" Julius replied.

"How old is that elder, the head of our village?" Michael asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Because when I was a kid, he looked exactly the same. He hasn't changed at all in over 20 years. And I never really figured out his name either because I've never met anyone who calls him by name—everyone just calls him 'the old man.' He's basically a mystery; that's all anyone knows about him," Julius said.

"So, no one in the entire village knows anything about him, huh?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Julius confirmed.

"Now, can I ask you the main question, Mr. Julius?" Michael asked.

"Go ahead!" Julius replied.

"Can you train me before the tournament next week!?" Michael asked emotionally.

Julius hadn't expected this question, which made him freeze for a moment before he finally decided on his response.

"No, Michael, I will not train you!" Julius answered.