As Breeze made his way to the quest board, a voice called out from behind him.

"Hey, newbie! You forgot your license."

He froze, cheeks flushing with embarrassment, and turned back to retrieve it. The receptionist handed it over with a smirk, his sharp eyes glinting with amusement.

“Thanks,” he muttered, clutching the license in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, feeling a step closer to reuniting with Samar.

"Interesting name you've got there," came a teasing voice from behind him. "Breeze, huh? And you’re just sixteen? How cute. I could raise you however I like."

The sound of a low, perverse laugh made him spin around. Behind him stood a woman in her thirties but she looked in her mid-twenty, her expression cool and composed, though the laughter betrayed her true nature.

Breeze stiffened. 'She’s seriously targeting me. If she ever finds out I’m actually ten, I’m doomed. I have to find a solution to escape her clutch.'

"Big Sister, you were amazing earlier!" Breeze said, pasting a wide grin on his face. “I was really impressed by your skills!”

Her eyes sparkled. "How adorable! Did you hear that, you bunch of ungrateful bastards? This kid thinks I’m cool!”

One of the hunters snickered. “Don’t fall for her act, brat. She’s desperate for a partner. Got rejected thirty-nine times—why not honor us and make it forty?”

Her composure cracked. In one swift motion, she hurled a dagger at the man, the blade embedding itself in the floor between his legs. “Next time, I won’t miss, I'll be sure to cut it clean,” she growled.

Breeze swallowed nervously, but he pressed on. “Actually, I really think you’re cool. That’s why I’d like you to be my mentor.”

A stunned silence fell over the hall. Breeze glanced around, confused.

'What just happened? Why is everyone so quiet?'

“Unbelievable, Unethical, Madness!” someone shouted. “Kid, do you even know what you just said? It’s unheard of for a man to ask a woman to be his mentor. You’re practically inviting shame on yourself, and, us, men in general.”

Sayah’s expression darkened, her pride visibly wounded, and why not when what he said was true, there had never been a female mentor. Breeze found this attitude strange. His father had never mentioned anything about mentorship being gendered, but he noticed a subtle truth: men were generally stronger than women. Someone like Sayah was rare in the Monster Society, where women made up only twenty percent of the hunters. Most were weaker than the weakest men, though they excelled in flexibility and precision.

Still, Breeze smiled inwardly or that's what he thought. That’s probably why no one dared approach Samar—afraid of being bested by the so-called weak woman. My wife is truly amazing.

The hall burst into murmurs. “This kid’s a carbon copy of Sayah, look how he pervertly laughs” someone whispered. “No wonder he had the nerve to ask her to be his mentor.”

Breeze took a deep breath. “I don’t deny that men are stronger than women,” he began, his voice steady. “But my fighting style relies on agility, not brute force. And who here is more agile than her? A few moments earlier, I noticed that her opponent couldn't touch her a single time. In a real fight, all it takes is one critical hit to end a life. Humans are full of weak points. The faster you land a decisive blow, the better your odds.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The hall fell silent again, but this time, Sayah’s lips curved into a proud smirk.

“Well said, kid,” she laughed. “This brat is officially my student now! Anyone who messes with him today will find themselves missing a certain part of their anatomy tomorrow. And I mean it!”

Breeze exhaled in relief. I’m safe, for now.

“So, my sweet little student,” Sayah cooed, draping an arm around his shoulder, “what’s next on your agenda?”

“I was planning to take an easy quest,” Breeze replied. “Just to test my capabilities.”

“Hmm… Let’s head to the training ground first. I want to see your skills for myself. After that, I’ll recommend a suitable quest.”

Breeze nodded, falling into step beside her. 'Having a mentor like her could be a good cover when people notice my strength. Plus, strong women often have kind hearts—they understand struggle and oppression and despise tyranny. As for her flirtatious nature... she’s probably just desperate for a handsome partner.'

When they reached the training ground, Sayah handed Breeze a wooden sword and gestured for him to stand with his back to her.

“Let’s test your flexibility and reaction speed,” she said with a grin. “I’ll throw these shurikens at you. Your task is to dodge them. But—here’s the catch—you can only start dodging once I’ve thrown them, and I’ll let you know when they’re halfway to you. Got it?”

Breeze felt his legs tremble. She noticed and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Relax. They’re made of wood. At worst, you’ll get a bruise. Remember, even top hunters miss their marks sometimes. Vigilance is key—there’s no magical danger sense or ‘killing intent detection’ It’s all about awareness.”

Her words calmed him. He nodded, positioning himself.

The first shuriken hit him squarely on the shoulder.

“Ouch!”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Sayah said shamelessly. “I wanted to see if you could dodge without any warning.”

“There’s no way I could!” Breeze shot back, rubbing his shoulder.

She chuckled. “Fair enough. But take this lesson to heart: nimbleness without awareness is equal to stiffness with awareness. The two must work together. Being nimble alone is not enough, the same for awareness. That’s how I’ve survived while others far stronger than me have fallen.”

With that, they resumed training. This time, she called out every throw at the halfway point. Starting with one shuriken, she gradually increased the number, scaling up to ten. To her astonishment, Breeze dodged them all.

“Impressive!” Sayah exclaimed. “Magnificent. But tell me—were you trained from a young age? Cause I found it a bit shocking to dodge every single shot for your first try”

'It’s my catlike reflexes,' Breeze thought, but he couldn’t say that aloud.

“My father started training me when I was three,” he said instead. “I’ve been practicing ever since. That's why I'm more flexible than your average person”

“Was he a hunter, adventurer, or mercenary?”

“No, but aren’t they all basically the same thing? Just different names for the same job?”

“Not anymore,” Sayah replied. “Things have changed in the last couple of years. The Monster Extermination Society(MES) has evolved into a large network, encompassing hunters, adventurers, and mercenaries. Hunters are experts in tracking and killing beasts. Adventurers are skilled explorers, better at navigating new territories and evading monsters. Mercenaries are the jack-of-all-trades, taking on anything from bodyguard work to less... honorable jobs. You can call them agents now,

it's the used term to refer to someone that you don't know his/her job.”

'I really need to update my knowledge,' Breeze thought. 'The world’s constantly changing. I can’t rely solely on what my father taught me.'

Sayah’s next question snapped him out of his reverie.

“What about your father? What’s he doing now?”

Breeze hesitated, then answered softly, “He passed away last year.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said, managing a faint smile. “It’s been over a year.”

Sayah nodded, her expression somber. “Let’s change the subject. You’re more than qualified for an easy quest, but you’ll need a good team. I’ll join you this time, but later, you’ll have to learn to stand on your own even if you are surrounded by a competent cohort, it's really tough surviving the wilderness.”

Breeze grinned. “It's not anything new. Let’s go!”