I was able to hold my ground for the first few seconds until his strength went over bronze.
Pop. Pop.
Ominous sounds came from my bones. The pain was awful but it was mediocre compared to what I went through.
"Count Ervinsyl, a pleasure to meet your esteemed noble self. I am indeed Solon whom your daughter is acquainted with. This lady with me is Klee Geit, my sister." I tried to be as calm and noblesse as possible.
Strength left his grip and he patted my shoulders, which only made the pain worse. I fought hard not to show struggles on my face. My smile was as welcoming as it could get. It took me 8 heals before the broken bones were fixed and another three for insurance.
"I wonder what made your honourable self come to see this humble mage." I never knew I was this gentlemanly. The knight movies I watched back on Earth weren't meaningless it seems.
"Oh, come on, we both know you're not a mage." The count exclaimed, shoving his index finger against my chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried my best not to show any emotions other than my welcome smile.
"Gles was always ranting about how you took down a dragon, like a knight in shining armour. Using a sword at that, very unlike a mage."
"Did I? I don't recall ever fighting against a dragon before."
"Really now? How do you explain Gles rising from copper to bronze in a single leap."
"Well, technically she didn't leap, she drank a drop of blood."
"Don't toy with me young man. The only blood that could raise a rank is a dragon's, which Gles said you slew."
"Oh. Now I remember. But I tell you, it wasn't a dragon. It was a Salamandrake. A dragonbourne at best."
"Not much different from what she told me." He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. "Tell me, do you know how many people could fight a dragonbourne on the same rank alone?"
"Nope. And I was bronze rank when fought the Salamandrake."
"So was it. It was not considered an iron rank by the hunter's guild."
"True. But what's that got to do with you being here?"
"Solon Geit. I hereby officially hire you as the personal knight of Glesisha Ervinsyl. Do you accept?"
I opened my lips to respond but the abrupt opening of the door interrupted me.
A small stature flew past the door and threw an object towards the count's direction.
The count avoided by leaning his chair back by a great extent.
Without an obstacle, the flying object was headed straight for me. I reacted by grabbing the object with my hand. I noticed that the object I caught was a woman's purse. I glanced back at the source of the commotion. A flustered Gles sprints to our table.
"Ah! Sorry! Thankfully you were able to catch it." She was apologetic and worried when she neared me. Her gaze turned to the count and her face was angry but cute. "Father, why did you dodge?"
"Was I not supposed to? I don't think I did something wrong to receive a beating." The count still had his genuine smile.
"Oh? Didn't do anything wrong, did we? How do you explain my driver taking a "shortcut" by going around the city? How do you explain the hundreds of dresses that the maids made me try on? And didn't we agree not to employ anyone unwilling to become my knight?" Gles held her hands across her chest. Her eyes flickered in a dangerous glow and a grin spread across her face. "I wonder what will happen if I told granny about this?"
Pigment drained from the count's complexion.