As the Countess spoke, she inched her face closer and closer to his, until she was only a few centimetres away from his lips. Even though she was standing on her toes, she barely reached his face.
She wasn't a short woman by any means. Standing at 5 feet and nine inches, she was considered average, if not tall for a woman. However, compared to his 6 feet five inches frame, she was definitely on the shorter end.
Seeing her try to reach his face, Gareth deftly let his head be pulled forward, subtly inching closer until their faces were about to touch.
And with his deep voice, he spoke, letting his warm breath wash over her.
"I will accept any punishment my Lady wishes to give me." He said with a smile, while staring straight at her. The room was thick was tension as the two of them looked as if they wanted to smash their lips together.
However, none of them crossed that final threshold. Gareth was hesitating for obvious reasons. They were not lovers. They were master and servant. He wasn't going to make a move without her asking for it first.
As for why Countess Virelle didn't do anything... It was less like hesitation, but more like her savouring the moment. The more she delayed, the more she would enjoy it later.
Seeing his luscious lips, the Countess was tempted to devour them with hers and give in to the temptation of lust. However, this was only for a moment. She quickly regained control and with a sultry smile, she let go of him and turned around.
Seeing this, Gareth also made his way back in front of her desk, where he stood, still standing. She sat down at her desk and her demeanor shifted to one of seriousness.
In Gareth's eyes, it was as if she had transformed from a seductive and sexy succubus to a calm and regal queen. The contrast was too quick and intense that it caught Gareth off guard.
He had always thought of the Countess as just a lustful individual. She didn't seem like someone who cared about image or power and what not. She only cares about herself and how to satisfy her desires.
That was the image he had of her. However, seeing her working earlier had changed this slightly. Now, he realized that she was much more than she let on. She was someone he couldn't take lightly.
The realization sent a small shiver down his spine as he realized he had been underestimating this woman. He had thought he had been careful, always making decisions after carefully thinking things through.
However, it seems he had unconsciously lowered the danger he had attributed to the Countess. It could be due to their previous encounter, but he had begun subconsciously thinking that if he were to be able to bed her, he would have conquered her.
Now he realized it was just a beautiful illusion. One that could have cost him greatly if he were to have acted upon it. At least he realized this quickly, and not after he had made an irreversible mistake.
Taking a deep breath, Gareth quickly adjusted his mindset and grounded himself once again. All this happened in the span of a few seconds, so the Countess hadn't realized anything different in him.
"Now that you are able to feel the mana in the air, it wouldn't belong before you are able to become an Ardent. Usually, people would have been training for a long time, so when they become an Ardent, they would be able to wield their newfound powers and skills.
However, your case is different. You have no knowledge of combat, nor of magic. That means you will be significantly weaker than an Ardent at your level. That is something unacceptable, something that we have to correct.
However, first let me ask you, do you want to be a mage or a warrior?" The Countess said in a serious tone.
'Mage or warrior, huh?' Gareth thought internally. Ardent were usually of two types. Those who used the mana to conjure magic of various elements were known as mages.
They moulded the mana, using the power to channel the power of the elements of the world, being able to use them to perform various wondrous and mystical attacks that could transform the environment.
The other type of Ardent was the warriors. Rather than manipulating the mana and transforming it into various elements, they channelled it into their bodies, strengthening it exponentially. They also channelled it into various martial techniques that could devastate their foes.
As stated previously, before being given the opportunity to become an Ardent, an ordinary individual would have to prove their worth. They could either prove their martial prowess or they could display their knowledge in the field of magic.
While both fields were difficult, one was noticeably easier. Becoming a warrior meant one was already a skilful individual. It meant that they had already attained martial prowess and had honed their skills to and unprecedented degree.
This would take years, as one would constantly have to hone their martial skills and techniques, with whatever weapon they favored, becoming stronger and stronger until they were finally acknowledged by their patron.
By the time most normal individuals became Ardent warriors, they had already achieved unprecedented mastery of their weapons and were very skilled and dangerous individuals.