Fellow Cultivator or Magic User?

On the countryside, a black pick-up truck can be seen moving along the paved road but a few moments later it took a turn as the truck instead entered along a dirt road in the direction that headed a bit deeper among the rural areas.

"Wow, the destination of the mission this time is so deep in the rural areas that I would have gone lost if I wasn't the GPS on my phone" John grumbled as he just bought his truck and now seeing get mud and dirt made him scowled.

A few minutes later, the silhouette of buildings are finally appearing within his sights.

"Thank god, I'm finally arriving in this village in the middle of nowhere" John sighed in relief as he increased the speed of the truck.

John slowed down his car at it finally entered the village, surprising the road is actually paved inside the village.

As John entered the village, countless pair of eyes look on curiously at this unknown car while they whispered among themselves while kids happily followed it behind with shining eyes.

"Hey, do you think among us owns that car?"

"It's probably a stranger, after all if its a relative of someone from here, they would be bragging it around by now"

"Mom, that car looks amazing! One day, I'll buy one of those and let you ride it!" a little boy who's hand is being held by his mother on the roadside, exclaimed in joy.

"Yes, yes, my little peter will have one of those one day" the woman smiled as she ruffled the head of her son.

Inside the car, John kept muttering while looking left and right "Church, church, where the heck is it? Damn, it is a village but this place is massive!"

John slowed down the truck and stopped in front of a stall surrounded by a group of three women and 2 kids who's eating a fried banana in a stick.

John rolled down the window and politely asked "Hello there, uhmm would it be alright to asked for directions?"

"Hey, you look unfamiliar, are you new here?" a middle aged lady looked at him and smiled.

"Haha no ma'am, I'm to visit a..friend?" John was unsure what to say as he still haven't met the person who was supposed to welcome him at the village entrance.

"You sound like you're not sure young man?" the woman who looks like the owner of the stall eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh please, don't look at me like I'm not some kind of a bad person. Actually, I'm here for Father Ed and was just supposed..to asked where the church is located" John smiled bitterly to himself.

"Ahh! You're looking for Father Ed!? Then are you the one who's here to help us?"

"Ah..yes, yes. I came here to help"

"Boy! Why didn't you say so earlier!?"

"It's because you never gave me the freaking chance to ask lady!" John was practically screaming inside but still maintaining his polite look.

"So you just need to go straight then turn left on the….." the stall owner hastily gave him directions.

John smiled at them and gave his thanks while sighing inside.

"Finally, I'm here! That was a tough journey!" John got out from his truck and exclaimed in joy.

"It was tough indeed friend" a voice sounded behind him, John was jolted in surprise as he immediately jumped back and unconsciously got into a fighting stance while his body gush out of battle intent.

"Whoa ~ there friend! I'm not here to fight!" the man dressed in priest robe sweated.

John sighed and relaxed his guard when he saw that it was a priest.

"Are you Father Ed?"

"Ah yes, are you the person sent by the association? I'm sorry that I wasn't able to greet you at the entrance earlier. I was just too tired from helping a family last night" Ed wasn't even surprised.

John just snorted and had the urge to rush up to him and gave him a hard knock on his head but it was only within his mind and wouldn't dare do it, after all it would be disrespectful to the priest if he really but most importantly Ed is also a fellow exorcist.

"What happened last night then Father?" John inquired but the last word was spoken weirdly and with an uncomfortable place. After all, John and his sister didn't grow up with a father which made him uncomfortable using that word.

Ed noticing the uncomfortable look of John along with his tone, smiled and said "Just call me by my first name, Ed. Otherwise it would be embarrassing for me if our fellow exorcist heard about it, after all other exorcist also don't call us like that because we are also a Warrior Priest."

"Warrior Priest?" John raised an eyebrow to that foreign word.

Ed smiled and didn't explain further "Come, a guest shouldn't standing outside. Let's talk inside instead and then you can ask me whatever question is in your mind"

John shrugged and followed Ed towards the direction of a two story house just a few meters away from the church.

Inside the house…

Ed and John sat opposite of each other while they just stared and examined each other and in between them was small round table that has a lemon juice and a plate of cookies.

"You're actually quite young as an exorcist"

"And you're too old doing this stressful job"

Ed, hearing that he was actually being told as "too old for this job" made his face twitch a bit.

"You still haven't told me what a Warrior Priest is" John immediately change a topic noticing that it seems he poke a sensitive spot.

"Just so you know, I'm still only 31 years old"

"Yes, yes. Now, can you please tell what is a Warrior Priest?" said John with a tone of impatience.

Ed smiled and slowly explained "Warrior Priest like me are special, just think of us as modern day knights"

"Knights?" John had a doubtful tone.

"En, we are the only priest that was trained by the church to vanquish all evil in the world, you know what I mean. Every Warrior Priest are trained from hand to hand combat, weapons of various specialties and the knowledge to vanquish "them" and more. Of course there are only around a hundred of us within the church and has special within" Ed smiled mysteriously at John.

John raised an eyebrow and his lips suddenly curve upward "If my guess is right and that hint you dropped earlier "Warrior Priest are like Modern Knights". You're actually hinting that Warrior Priest are like the Royal Guards of a King but in your situation, It's not a King but the Pope instead, right?"

Ed smiled mysteriously again and suddenly threw something at him.

John's eyes immediately turned sharp as he gave a casual looking punch at the incoming ball of light towards him.

His fist just touched the ball of light when it suddenly burst into small columns of light before it disappeared.

"What was that supposed to mean?" John eyes started cold light as his energy as 2nd Rank Apprentice Realm as billows of wind continuously gush out around the room with John as the center.

"Relax fellow exorcist, I just wanted to confirm something but I truly didn't expect that you're also a Magic User" Ed laughed awkwardly trying to look calm but inside, he is practically screaming danger!

"Magic User?" John's energy ceased but his guard still didn't loosen up .

Ed just bitterly smiled at it and pretended to ignore it while sipping his juice "Yes, it was earlier when you got startled that you suddenly leaked out a bit of mana around you but it immediately disappeared after that. That's when I knew that you're not just an ordinary exorcist but instead also a Magic User!" his voice suddenly got excited.

John didn't say anything but just listened, Ed didn't mind and continued "But in my surprise, you're mana surged earlier when you got startled is actually on the level of the Apprentice Realm! I just don't which you are but I'm sure but as for me I'm only at the 1st Rank of Novice Realm and haven't advance since"

"W-what? You're a culti- I mean a magic user!?" John suddenly stood up in surprised because he was really expecting that he would actually meet someone like him today.

"Yes and also, a cultivator and a magic user is the same. It just depends on how people prefers to call themselves"