After I left the inn, I headed towards the adventure's guild. When I walked through the door, the entire hall went silent, and everyone looked at me. Feeling awkward, I walked towards the counter, which was empty. As I made my way over, I could hear a few giggles, and when I looked around, I saw some people staring at me with pity.
When I reached the counter, I looked at the receptionist and understood why the others in the hall had looked at me like that. Dragons, due to their strength, are very arrogant, and the receptionist was a draconoid, meaning one of her ancestors was a dragon. So, besides being beautiful, she was probably the strongest in the room.
"Good morning, I'd like to register with the guild," I said as I reached the counter.
"You, a weakling? Fine, after signing these papers, place your hand on this orb, and then I'll put you through a test to see your rank, although if you manage a D rank, that's already good for a wimp like you," she said.
"Alright, but why don't we make a bet?" I asked.
"Me, a dragoness, betting with someone as lowly as you?" she replied.
"What's wrong? If you think you're so important, you'd get a punching bag for free," I said.
"Alright then, if you're going to become my slave, I should at least offer a worthy prize. If you manage an S rank, I'll let you touch me," she responded.
As the conversation ended, people around us started to breathe again.
I filled out the paperwork, and just before I placed my hand on the orb, it cracked. Everyone who saw this had horrified expressions on their faces. When I looked at the dragoness, she had an extremely surprised look on her face, which quickly turned to horror as she remembered our bet. One thing I hadn't explained yet: if you make a bet with someone, it is sacred. You can't back out, and if you try to flee, a guardian will come after you.
Of course, I don't have that problem. After all, the world controls the guardians, and since I have the blessing of the world, I'm not subject to those rules.
"Can you show me the test I'll have to take?" I asked her with a smug smile.
She finally snapped out of it.
"You don't need to take the test. This orb was designed to measure personal strength with precision. If it can't measure your power, it means you're at least Rank EX," she said. "You can come back this afternoon when we have a shift change," she continued.
"You don't need to do that. I can simply touch your finger right now, and the bet would be considered complete," I said. Despite all I could do in this world, I would never fully impose myself on someone with whom I have no positive relationship.
"No, I won't accept that. Besides, you're strong enough that I would consider you a potential partner. I'll be waiting for you," she said.